Write a Cause and Effect Essay

Write your own cause-and-effect essay on one of the following topics or on a topic of your own choice. Use Cause and effect at a glance as a basic organizer (see “Organization in Cause and Effect”), and follow the Writing Guide: Cause and Effect checklist as you write and revise.

COLLEGE
  • The immediate effects of being in college or the desired long-term effects on your life of going to college
  • Causes of a legitimate absence that resulted in your missing a test (directed to your professor)
WORK
  • Causes of low employee morale
  • Effects of juggling work, school, and family
EVERYDAY LIFE
  • Causes of an argument with a friend or a member of your family
  • A good decision or a bad one, and its possible effects on your life

WRITING GUIDE: CAUSE AND EFFECT

STEPS IN CAUSE AND EFFECT HOW TO DO THE STEPS
Focus.
  • Think about an event or a situation that had concrete causes and/or effects.
Explore your topic. See Chapter 2.
  • With your purpose in mind, prewrite or use the ring diagram to get ideas about causes and effects.
Write a thesis statement. image See Chapter 3.
  • Write a thesis statement that includes your topic and an indication of whether you will be showing causes, effects, or both.
Support your thesis. See Chapter 3.
  • List the major causes and/or effects.
  • For each cause or effect, give details that will help your readers understand how they caused or affected an event.
Write a draft. See Chapter 4.
  • Arrange the causes and/or effects in a logical order (often chronological or by importance).
  • Write topic sentences for each major cause and/or effect and paragraphs that describe them in detail.
Revise your draft. See Chapter 4.
  • Ask another person to read and comment on your draft.
  • With your purpose and audience in mind, read to make sure the causes and effects are real, and if you have explained them adequately.
  • Add transitions.
  • Improve your introduction, thesis, and conclusion.
Edit your draft. See Chapters 16 through 18.
  • Correct errors in grammar, spelling, word use, and punctuation.
Evaluate your writing.
  • Does it have the Four Basics of Good Cause and Effect (see “Understand What Cause and Effect Are”)?
  • Is this the best I can do?